Presser-foot mechanism for stitching-machines.



B. H. THEISEN & G. S. KELLER. PRESSBR FOOT MECHANISM FOR STITGHINGMACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1909.

973,237, Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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BBUNO H. THEISEN AND GEORGE S. KELLER, OE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PBESSEB-FOOT MECHANISM FOR STITCHING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters iatent. V Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Applicafioaflled May'13, 1909. Serial in. 995,741.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BRUNO H.,THEISEN and GEORGE S. KELLER, both ofMinneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Presser-Foot Mechanisms for Stitching-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide means for holding the materialto be stitched securely on the work plate during the o ration ofpunching the hole therein and 01ming t-hestitch.

A further object is to provide means, which will adjust themselvesautomatically to the varying thicknesses of. the material that is to beworked on.

Our invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a front view of a stitching machine, embodyin our invention, Fig. 21s a side view partialy in section, of the same, Fig. 3 is an enlarged,detail view, illustrating the presser oot mechanism.

In the drawing,2 represents a work support and 3 a presser foot mountedon a lever 4 that is loosel supported on the shaft 5 and ca able 02vertical oscillation inde-" endent y thereof. The end of the presser ootis, directly above the work support, in position to enga e and hold thematerial securely thereon. he lever 4 is provided with alaterally turnedend-6, which projects over an arm 7 that is loosely mounted on a shaft 8between the standards 9 of the machine and said arm has a curved rackbarlO at one 13 and is normally pressed toward the rac bar 10 b a spring14. The arm 7 by en-- gaging the laterall turned end 6, tends to raisethat end of t e lever and de ress the presser foot. A spring 15 norma lyholds the arm 7 in yieldm engagement with the end 6. A secondary dever16 is mounted on the shaft 8 and has an end adapted to enga e the underside of the lever 4 and is hel d in contact therewith by a'spring 17.This spring has considerable tension and the lever 16 is held firmlythereby a ainst the lever 4 and the presser foot locke securely inengagement with the material to be stitched. The lever 16 has a lug 18projectmg therefrom on one side into the path of the oscillating needlejaw 19, which is actu ated from the crank shaft 20 through a connectingrod 21. When the jaw has deseended to a predetermined position, it willengage the lug l8 and tilt the lever 16 to the position shown in Fig. 2,relieving the pressure on the lever 4 and allowing the presser foot tobe released when the lever 12 is disen' aged from the rack bar 10. Toautomatiearly 0 erate this lever 12,,we prefer to provide a ug 22 on theupright rocking post 23, which is actuated through the engagement of thedepending bracket 24 with the cam 25 on the s aft 20 and sup orts an arm26 through the operation of w ich, the awl carrying' jaw 27 1soscillated to feed the oods.

An adjusting screw 28 is mounted in t e lug 22 in position to engage theedge of the lever 12 and at a predeterminedfpoint in the operation ofthe machine, diseng e the said lever from the rack bar 10 an allow thearm 7 to swing downward and release the presser foot. A spring 29normally resses the arm 26 away from the awl jaw an holds the screw 28out of the path of the lever 12.

The 0 eration of the mechanism is so timed that tl ie oscillation of thepost 23, the movement of the arm 26 and the lateral stroke of the jaw 27throu h its engagement with said arm will take ace just at the time whenthe awl is comp ieting its upward movement, so that the oscillation ofthe aw 27 will move the awl laterally in the work plate and feed thematerial forward. This awl feed however, forms the subject matter of aseparate application andv is not claimed herein.

The mechanism last described in connection with the presser foot, will,as indicatedin Fig.2, be actuated also to release the presser foot, justat the time it is desiredto make the feed.

The ratchet device in connection with the arm 7 and the lever 4 allowsthe presser foot to adjust itself to difli'erent thicknesses ofmaterial.' For-instance, if the lever 12 be adjusted for a certainthickness ofmaterial and during the operation of the machine, a thinnerportion 0 to be stitched, the ratchet bar will slide .up- Wardly onthetooth 11 actuated by its spring and tilt the lever 4 and force thepresser foot downwardly to kee it constantly in engagement with the surace of the'material.

the material is fed along ried by said If the material grows thicker asthe feed progresses, the operator may grasp the handle 13, disengage thelever from the ratchet bar and allow the presser foot to adjust itselfto the variation. Generally however, the lever 12 will be automaticallytripped just before the feeding operation to allow the presser foot toaccommodate itself to the thickness of the material.

We claim as our invention 1. In astitching machine, the combina-' tion,with a work support, a needle jaw and an awl jaw, of a pivoted lever, apresser foot mounted thereon, a spring pressed arm arranged to engagesaid lever and having a series of ratchet teeth, a trip lever having atooth to engage said ratchet teeth and normally locking said arm inengagement with said lever, meansfor operating said awl jaw to feed thegoods and adjustable means caroperating means and arranged to engage sai-.trip ever and release said arm, substantially as described. I V

2. In a'stitching machine, the combination, with a work support, aneedle jaw, and an awl jaw, of a pivoted lever, a presser foot mountedthereon, said lever havlng a laterally extending end, a pivotedspring-pressed arm having a U-shaped recess to receive and looselysupport said laterally extending end and hold said presser foot towardsaid work support With-a yielding pressure, said arm having a series ofratchet teeth thereon, and a trip lever having a tooth to engage saidteeth, said arm slipping automatically over saidtooth to increase thepressure of said foot on said plate but being normally locked by saidtooth against movement in the other direction.

3. The combination, with a work support, a needle jaw and an awl jaw ofa presser foot lever, a resser foot carried thereby, a spring-presse armhaving a series of teeth, and a part to engage said presser foot lever atrip lever having a tooth to engage sai ratchet teeth and normally locksald arm m engagement with said presser foot lever, said arm slippingautomatically over the tooth of said trip lever and permitting thepresser foot to accommodate itself to the varying thickness of thematerial, and means actuated by said needle jaw for releasing thepressure of said presser foot lever at a re- 7 determined point,substantially as 'descri ed.

4. In a stitching machine, the combination, with a reciprocating needlejaw and anawl jaw, and means for operating the same, of a work support,a presser foot lever, a presser foot mounted thereon, a springpressedratchet arm arranged to engage 881d .presser foot lever and havin ,aseries of ratchet teeth, as ring-presse tripp' lever having avtoot toengage the of said ratchet arm, a s ring-pressed lever arranged toengage sai presser foot lever and 'to advance the material and actuatesaid tripping lever todisengage it from the teeth of said ratchet armwhereby said presser foot will be released during the feeding operation,substantially as described.

5. In a stitching machine, the combination, with'a work support, aneedle jaw and an awl jaw, of a presser foot lever, a presser footmountedthereon, an arm arranged to engage said lever and havinga seriesof ratchet teeth, a trip lever having a tooth to engage said teeth andpermit said arm to move automatically in one direction, but locking itagainst movement in the other direction, an actuating means for said awljaw, and'means adjustably mounted in said actuating means and arrangedto engage and trip said trip lever at a predetermined point,

substantially as described.

6. In a stitching machine, the combination, with a work support and aneedle jaw and an awl jaw, of a pivoted lever, a presser foot carriedthereby, a spring-pressed arm arranged to engage said lever having aseries of ratchet teeth, a trip lever having a tooth to engage saidratchet teeth, a secondary lever arranged to engage said presser footlever and lock the resser foot in engage.- ment with the material, andsaid needle jaw having means for moving said secondary lever out ofengagement with said presser foot lever.

7. In a stitching machine, the combination, iwth a work support, an awljaw and a needle jaw, of a pivoted lever, a presser foot carriedthereby, an arm having ratchet teeth and arranged to engage said presserfoot lever, means for adjusting said arm to accommodate said presserfoot to the thickness of the material, a secondary lever arranged havinga lug projecting into the path of said u 8. n a stitching machine, thecombina tion, with a work support, a needlejaw and an awl jaw, of apivoted lever,a presser foot mounted thereon, a spring-pressed armarranged to hold said presser foot toward sai work plate with a yieldinpressure, said arm having a series of rate et teeth, a trip lever havinga tooth to engage said teeth, said ratchet arm slipping automaticallyover said tooth to increase the pressure of said foot on said plate, butbeing locked normally by said tooth against movement in the otherdirection, a rotating post having apart to engage and, actuate said awljaw and means carried by said post to engage and operate said tr1 lever.

" 9.'In a stitching machine, the combination, with a work support aneedle jaw and an awl jaw, of a pivoted lever, a presser foot mountedthereon, a spring pressed arm arranged to hold .said presser foot towardsaid work plate witha ielding pressure, a trip lever having a'ratchetconnection with said arm and normally locking it againstmovement in onedirection, a secondary lever arranged to lock said presser foot lever inits working position, said secondary lever being in the path of saidneedle jaw to be actuated thereby, and an awl jaw 0 crating means hav' apart to actuate said trip lever, substantia ly as described.

10. In a stitching machine, the combination, with a work support and aneedle jaw, of a presser foot lever, a presser foot mounted thereon, amechanism arranged to lock said presser foot lever but permit it toaccommodate itself to the varying thickness of the material, and meansactuated by said needle jaw for releasin said presser foot lever at apredetermine point said means including a secondary lever disposed inthe path of said jaw.

11. The combination, with a work support, a needle jaw and an awl jaw,of a presser foot lever, a resser foot carried thereby,aspring-pressearm havin aseries of teeth, and a part to e sai presser foot lever, atrip lever ha a tooth to engage said ratchet teeth and normally locksaid arm, means including a rotating post for actuati said awl jaw, andmeans carried by sai actuating means for moving said trip lever torelease said arm, substantially as described.

12. In a stitchin machine, a needle jaw in combination wit a presserfoot mechanism comprising a presser foot lever and means arranged toengage said lever to raise the same and depress the presser foot, a triplever having a part to contact with said engaging means, and meansactuated by the movement of the needle jaw for releasin said presserfoot lever.

13. n a stltching machine a needlejaw in combination with a presser footmechanism comprising a presser foot lever and presser foot carriedthereby, adjustable means engaging said lever and permitting it toaccommodate itself to the thickness of the material, a secondary leverarranged to engage said presser foot lever and lock it in 1ts workingposition, said secondar lever being actuated by the movement 0 theneedle aw. 1 In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this24th day of April 1909.

\ BRUNO H. THEISEN. GEORGE S. KELLER.

Witnesses:

Jnssm M. SULLIVAN, J; A. Bmo'rox.

